"It could happen to you"

TITLE: ”It could happen to you”

Angela, George: students, Mr. Odysseas: teacher

Scene 1

(Angela is writing in her diary sitting alone in her room late at night)


"My dear diary,
I need to write to you tonight as I have to tell you how I feel…
I am sitting here and I am thinking about the young people’s problems and questions
they have to answer. The most important question that comes into my mind is “what is love?” and “how can we deal with it?” Although I’ve been trying to answer I think it’s impossible to do it. So I wonder…Maybe love is blessing, offer, hope, respect, understanding, trust, patience, joy, support, medicine, light, song, value…
Is love important to everyone including me?
I don’t know which characteristic is the most important but I think that love is tolerance, joy and respect. You mustn’t be selfish or aggressive when you love. When someone gives and takes love, it is sure that there is a feeling of peace in your heart. When you give things you don’t expect to take them back. You do it because you like it, that’s all.
Maybe we love somebody because he/she is unique, we like the way he behaves, thinks, acts, reacts. We love somebody because we think that he/she is our match. When you’re in love you don’t lose yourself. You find yourself.
After all, have I answered any questions about love? I‘m not sure…again.
I‘ve been thinking about several things lately. I feel I’ve become a different person, my mind is stuck. I always forget about what I have to do, I can’t do anything…I have lost interest in studying and I start crying without any specific reason everything has changed in my life and I can’t keep anything under control. When I see him, my heart starts beating quickly, I begin to tremble, tears run down my eyes and my mind stops…blank…I feel shame about all this and I can’t tell anyone not even my mother that I’m in love with my teacher. He is much older than me but who cares? I like the way he teaches, his kindness, his behavior towards his students, his personality…
I shouldn’t have these feelings for him, but how can I change them? I know he is my teacher but I feel so weak… I would like to talk to somebody about it, maybe to my friend but I don’t know how he will take it.
I want to tell my teacher himself about my feelings but I am afraid he will reject me.
I don’t think I could accept a “no“ answer. This could kill me. Tomorrow I’m going to invite my friend for a cup of coffee at the local cafeteria and I think I’ll have the chance to talk to him about it although I know what he’ll say to me I’m going to risk. I don’t really know what to do. I’m thinking of putting a flower and a card on my teacher’s desk and I’ll be waiting for his reaction …"

Scene 2

(Angela with her friend George at the cafeteria)

GEORGE: hi, Angela
ANGELA: hi, George. I’m late. Have you been waiting long?
GEORGE: No, I came ten minutes ago.
ANGELA: sorry, I’m late again.
GEORGE: what happened? you were upset when we talked on the phone.
ANGELA: I’ll tell you in a minute
GEORGE: Ok, calm down
ANGELA: I want to tell you something…but promise you won’t tell anybody about it
GEORGE: You know you can trust me. I’ve never revealed your secrets.
ANGELA: Ok, don’t be offended, sorry.
GEORGE: Angela, open up! What ’s wrong with you? Why did you tell me not to let anyone know that we were going to meet?
ANGELA: Because what I am going to tell you is very important to me.
GEORGE: O.K. Tell me, I can’t wait!
ANGELA: Have you noticed that I’ m not in a good mood lately?
GEORGE: Yes...
ANGELA: I’ll tell you the reason now.
GEORGE: What is it?
ANGELA: I’m in love!
GEORGE: Good! This is great, Angela, you’ll forget your ex-boyfriend.
ANGELA: I’ve already forgotten all about him.
GEORGE: Now tell me, who is he?
ANGELA: I don’t know how I can say it…
GEORGE: What is so mysterious about him?
ANGELA: O.K.! The teacher who teaches us computers.
GEORGE: Who? Have you lost your mind?
ANGELA: Why?
GEORGE: He could be your father.
ANGELA: I know.
GEORGE: You know it and you’re in love with him. Are you crazy?
ANGELA: Don’t talk to me like that!
GEORGE: What are you going to do now?
ANGELA: I want to tell him how much I love him!
GEORGE: What are you talking about? Are you serious? I can’t believe it!
ANGELA: Today I left a flower on his desk with a card, but I didn’t write my name on it. I just wrote about my feelings for him.
GEORGE: And what did he do?
ANGELA: I don’t know, I’ll find out tomorrow when I talk to him.
GEORGE: Angela, you are making a big mistake, it’s just enthusiasm, nothing more. You’ll have forgotten him in a month’s time.
ANGELA: You don’t understand me at all.
GEORGE: I think you are stupid.
ANGELA: Will you help me or not?
GEORGE: How?
ANGELA: Tell me how I can start the conversation with him tomorrow.
GEORGE: Don’t do it Angela. It is dangerous.
ANGELA: Please…
GEORGE: How long have you felt like this? I mean, when did you start falling in love with him?
ANGELA: Two months ago. He was in charge of my project, we spent a long time together every day. He was charming, I liked his personality…
GEORGE: What can I say?
ANGELA: Tell me what to do.
GEORGE: Look, Angela, you are one of my best friends and I can’t do anything else but help you…
ANGELA: Thank you, George. I will never forget it.
GEORGE: Go and tell him about the way you feel, but you should know that’s impossible for you and him to be together…
ANGELA: I know. But I’ll try.
GEORGE: I want you to be happy Angela.
ANGELA: Thank you, again George.
GEORGE: It’s OK.
ANGELA: Now, let’s talk about you. Are you OK?
GEORGE: I’m OK, but I don’t think the same happens to you.
ANGELA: Oh, don’t start again…
GEORGE: Let’s go home now, it’s late and I have to study the lessons for tomorrow.
ANGELA: OK, let’s go. Tomorrow it will be a hard day. I’ll send you a message to let you know about my news.
GEORGE: Do it as soon as something happens.
ANGELA: Bye, George.
GEORGE: Bye, Angela.



SCENE 3

(Angela goes to meet her teacher to tell him about her feelings. The teacher sits at his desk in the classroom. Angela knocks on the door and goes into the room, trembling).

ANGELA: Good morning, Mr Odysseas.
Mr Odysseas: Good morning, Angela.
ANGELA: How are you?
Mr Odysseas: I’m fine, Angela. And you?
ANGELA: Very well, thank you.
Mr Odysseas: have you finished with your project?
ANGELA: Not yet, but I think I’ll finish it soon.
Mr Odysseas: Do you have any questions about your project? Would you like me to help you?
ANGELA: Not exactly, I would like to talk to you about something else…
Mr Odysseas: Come on, Angela…What is it? Don’t be so shy…
ANGELA: You know, it is something personal and I don’t know how to start…Er… I feel shame, but I must do it. I must tell you what it is.
Mr Odysseas: Why are you ashamed? Have you done something wrong?
ANGELA: Did you find the flower and the card on your desk yesterday?
Mr Odysseas: Yes, I did. But I don’t understand. Was it you who left them on my desk? There was no name on it.
ANGELA: Yes, it was me. Listen, Sir, ever since we started that project on computers and we came very close, I started feeling very nice near you. I liked the way you teach, your interests, your personality. Without realizing it, I started to think about you all the time.
Mr Odysseas: Please, stop, Angela.
ANGELA: I beg you, Mr Odysseas! Don’t interrupt me! Let me finish what I have to tell , first.
Mr.ANGELA: ok, Angela, go on! Tell me . . .
ANGELA: I would like you to know that I’m in love with you .
Mr.ANGELA: This is a very embarrassing situation, Angela.
ANGELA: I know it, Sir.
Mr. Odysseas: I can’t believe it, Angela. Do you know how old I am?
ANGELA: No, Sir, and I don’t care…
Mr. Odysseas: You don’t care because you’re only 17. Listen, Angela, I’m twenty years older than you and what is more I’m your teacher…
ANGELA: It makes no difference to me.
Mr. Odysseas: I could be your father.
ANGELA: But you are not my father!!
Mr. Odysseas: Angela, you know that it’s impossible…..
ANGELA: Why? I can’t understand it…
Mr.Odysseas: Listen Angela you’re young and you can’t think clearly….
ANGELA: I can. It is very simple.
Mr. Odysseas: No, it isn’t. First of all I’m married to an excellent woman and I have a five-year old child. And I think all my students are my children. This is the teacher’s role and duty. I can’t see you differently.
ANGELA: Oh, sorry, Sir. I didn’t know that you are married. I wouldn’t like to cause problems in your family.
Mr. Odysseas: Even if I didn’t have a wife and a child, I would like to have any affairs with a student of mine.
ANGELA: I see, Sir, you’ve made it clear. Now I respect you more, because you have the right ideas that all teachers should have.
Mr Odysseas: I’m glad to hear it from you Angela. That means that you have no doubts about it.
ANGELA: Sir, sorry for the inconvenience I’ve caused to you. I hope you’ll forgive me. I know it was very thoughtless of me to bother you.
Mr Odysseas: It’s ok Angela. You behaved as teenagers do, they don’t think twice before they do something but that’s typical of being a teenager. But that’s what we, teachers, are we for…
ANGELA: What do you mean, sir?
Mr Odysseas: We have to show you the way…We are here to help you overcome your problems, support you…
ANGELA: Oh, I feel much better now. I am relieved and I think that our relationship has become stronger. Thank you very much Mr Antoniou.
Mr Odysseas: It’s ok Angela. And don’t worry. I won’t tell anymore about our conversation. It’s a secret between you and me. It’s our secret.
ANGELA: May I go now, Sir, I think the bell has rung. I don’t want to be late for the next lesson.
Mr Odysseas: Yes, of course. Go to your classroom. See you later.
ANGELA: Good bye Mr Antoniou and again...thank you…
Mr Odysseas: Bye, Angela.

(Angela leaves the room. She looks happy and relieved. She sends a message to George and tells him what happened. George answers back, she smiles and walks into the next classroom with a big smile on her face.)

Writer: Angela Mitsi
of the 8th Geniko Lykeio Ioanninon-Greece